Park of the week

220. Clissold Park

Clissold Park, in Stoke Newington, was opened in 1889 after a campaign to prevent development of the area. In 1890 a drinking fountain in recognition of Joseph Beck and John Runtz, local campaigners whose efforts secured the park for public use forever after it was purchased by the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1887, through the powers of The Metropolitan Open Spaces Act. The fountain is a four-sided obelisk with taps and basins for people, and lower troughs for animals. It was the first urban park to have an animal enclosure, which was laid out in the 1890s.

It is set in the grounds of Clissold Mansion, a Grade II listed building built in the 1790s and still in the middle of the park.

Here’s a romantic little tale about it: in 1811 the house passed to the ownership of a Mr Crawshay. His daughter and the curate of the local parish church, Reverend Augustus Clissold, fell in love but her father hated the clergy and they were prevented from meeting, let alone marrying, until her father had died. On inheriting the house, the Clissolds re-named it Clissold Place.

In front of the house is a remnant of the New River. This plaque is on one of the ornamental bridges across the river. It features the historic seal of the New River Company, a utility company that supplied London with fresh water from Hertfordshire starting in the early 17th century. The Latin inscription around the seal reads et plui super unam civitatem, which translates as "And I rained upon one city". The central image shows the City of London being watered by a hand from a cloud. 

In 1996 Clissold Park became the site of Growing Communities' first urban market garden. Growing Communities is a community-led organisation based in Hackney. The project specialises in salad leaves and is the only London box scheme to include organic salad grown in Hackney in its vegetable bags.

The park has two lakes (named Beckmere and Runtzmere in honour of Beck and Runtz), an aviary and animal enclosures with fallow deer, a children’s play area, café, toilets, tennis courts, table tennis table and a multi-use games area.

There are plenty of benches, all with this design of lions’ heads and flowers. It has held a Green Flag award since 2006.

Judith Field

Clissold Park, Green Lanes, London N16 9HJ